Canelo Alvarez has not forgotten the many callouts from the Charlo brothers over the years and now plans to show Jermell all of his skills.
Canelo and Jermell Charlo will face off at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 30th in a battle of undisputed champions. Alvarez, the undisputed champion at super-middleweight will put his WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine titles on the line against the undisputed champion of the 154lb division.
Jermell, who is the naturally smaller twin brother to WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, will attempt to step up two weight divisions to challenge one of the modern day greats. This, in an attempt to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes simultaneously.
That in itself, would be in a remarkable accomplishment, the fact that he would have to beat Canelo Alvarez to do it, is just the icing on the cake. However, Canelo hasn’t forgotten all of the things that the Charlo twins have said in the past and plans to teach Jermell a lesson.
Speaking at his media workout just two weeks away from his title defence, Canelo alluded to his excitement at facing Jermell Charlo.
Canelo Alvarez on the Charlo Brothers
“I always want to make the best fights out there. I’m excited to be in this fight. This is a fight that people have talked about for a while. I’m excited to show the Charlo’s my skills. Now Jermell is gonna feel my skills.”
Canelo Alvarez hasn’t forgotten the taunts and callouts from the Charlo twins and plans to use that as motivation for his upcoming fight. “I think Jermell is the perfect fight right now. He’s been calling me out for a long time and I never forget. He’s said a lot of things. He never believed in my skills, but he’s gonna find out soon. Him and his brother didn’t believe in my skills and that motivates me for this fight.”
Canelo on the Weight Difference
On the step up in weight for Charlo, Canelo said, “Charlo will be good at 168lb. I’ve made that jump before so I know. I think that when you’re a great champion like he is, it doesn’t matter. These kind of fights motivate me. I like being underestimated. That’s what makes me excited for this fight.”
Is Canelo Still on the Top of His Game?
The former pound-for-pound king insisted that he still feels like he is at the top of his game and is confident that he will put on a show for the fans. “I always believe I’m number one. My whole career. Because you need to believe in yourself. I still believe I’m number one. But I believe there is more than just one fighter alone at the top. There are a few. I still feel young and fresh, I never think about the end of my career, I just train and fight year after year.”
“I still feel that I’m at my best, I feel great. This is really one of the best camps I’ve ever had. I feel great to be able to train 100 percent now with my left hand. That’s made me more confident. When you train knowing that you’re healthy, you’ll be more confident in the fight.”
What Does This Fight Mean for Jermell Charlo?
For Jermell Charlo, this fight is as big as it gets. If he is able to step up two weight divisions and defeat one of the greatest fighters of the modern era, it will cement his own legacy as one of the best. Jermell has had his slip-ups in the past. After winning the vacant WBC belt back in 2016, Charlo made three defences of his title. Charlo then appeared to have a bit of an ‘off-night’ as he was beaten by Tony Harrison in 2018, losing his WBC title.
Charlo would go on to rematch Harrison after a picking up a win in the interim. Jermell stopped Harrison in the 11th round to regain his title. In 2020, Jermell took on Jeison Rosario for the WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine titles. Jermell won the bout with KO in the eight round. With just one belt left to become undisputed, Jermell faced Brian Castano in Texas in 2021. The fight ended in a split-draw and Charlo walked away without the WBO title. Charlo and Castano rematched in 2022, this time, Charlo made no mistake. He stopped Castano in the tenth round to become the undisputed champion at 154lb. If Charlo is able to defeat Canelo Alvarez, it will be the greatest win of his career to date.
What Does This Fight Mean for Canelo Alvarez?
For Canelo, this fight rings slightly different. Canelo has held titles at light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight throughout his career. The proud Mexican has only ever tasted defeat twice in his career. A loss to the self-proclaimed ‘The Best Ever’ in Floyd Mayweather, ten years ago to the day. And a defeat to WBA light heavyweight king, Dmitry Bivol in May last year. That loss was one which could have been foreseen, Canelo was outsized and outclassed by the much naturally bigger man as Canelo tried to achieve a further level of greatness.
This feels slightly different, this defence, for me, is Canelo trying to cement his legacy by beating the ‘up-and-comers’. The fighters who will most likely reign, once he decides to call time on his illustrious career. Just as Floyd Mayweather did, to Canelo, himself.
All quotes from this article are credited to Bad Left Hook.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
